He Is Risen!
- His Servant - Rob McKee
- Apr 11, 2020
- 11 min read
Many are celebrating the resurrection of Christ this time of the year (April 2020.) They often start by rehearsing the death, burial, and then the resurrection; referring to this as "The Gospel of Christ". While it is, indeed, the Gospel of Christ, it is the 30,000-foot view of the Truth.
We find deeper details of what these three significant events hold in the role of the salvation of mankind inside God's Holy Word. Jesus Christ's resurrection represents His pure life that could not be "holden of death" (Acts 2:24.) This is the life that Jesus came to this earth and died to give us! Let's remember and honor Him by seeking Truth and obeying His commandments...
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures
What is Paul saying here to us? What I hear him saying is that the fist things that he preached to us, are the very first things that were preached to him; which were the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Were these The Gospel? Yes, yes, they were. Do these three things complete the entire gospel of Christ? Yes, and no… these are the overview, or ‘big picture’ point of view concerning the gospel of Christ. Some might even call it the “30,000-foot view”.
What happens when you are 30,000 feet in the air, in a helicopter, and you spot something valuable? You land and gather the details, right? How big is it, what’s the real value, does anyone else have claim to it? How will you move it, etc.?
We see, by this, that what Paul is saying in this passage, is that to deliver the gospel to someone, they first have to believe that Jesus Christ existed, died for our sins, and rose again blameless because death could not hold onto Him (Acts 2:22-24). Was this the end of the gospel? No – this is just the beginning!
Hebrews 5:8-11 Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Why were they dull of hearing and not able to hear more than the death, burial, and resurrection at first? Let’s continue reading here in Hebrews…
Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Definition of Gospel (Merriam-Webster online https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gospel)
· one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
· the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation
Why is it important to believe that Christ was here, gave His life as a ransom, and rose again? Well, if you cannot believe those things, how will you ever be inclined to follow His teachings?
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Within His teachings we find the Truth. Grace and Truth go together. Grace and Truth are the treasure to be found ‘at the end of the Gospel rainbow’.
John 1:14-17 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Look at what Jesus said to these people after that they believed on Him:
John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
So, what we are saying here is that the Gospel is so much more than a mere confession that you believe that the death, burial, and resurrection took place. If that is so (and it is!), what else do we need to know? Well, it’s just as Jesus said in John 8:32: we have to continue in His Word to find this out. News flash here… this is an individual relationship with Him.
You need to get into the Word of God and search it out for yourself! If you are instructing someone else, by all means start with the death, burial, and resurrection, because if someone is unable to believe those pre-requisites, then you will never take that person deeper into the Truth.
To explain the contents of The Gospel, in more detail, we might start by talk about these things:
1. The virgin birth of Christ
2. Details of His Holy Life and Ministry while on earth
3. Details surrounding His Baptism
4. His death
5. His resurrection
6. His commission to His disciples to preach The Gospel and repentance for remission of sins past to the world
7. His ascension
8. His coming return
From there, we can continue to expand into the love of God, for instance, fruits of the Spirit, etc.
The just shall live by faith in what? Faith in the Gospel of Christ. Just a notation here… the word “live” in this context denotes that we are doing something. Doing something is the same as having works – just saying!
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Since so many in the world are now, or recently were, honoring the remembrance of His resurrection, let’s focus more on numbers 4-8. Here is Timothy expanding on the Gospel, talking about the death and how we follow Christ down the path to crucify our life in this world also, then – and only then, will we ever be resurrected in newness of life, like He is.
2 Timothy 2:8-16 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Here is some more from the book of Romans. Remember that in a past study, we recognized that water baptism is our outward acceptance of Christ, and that how He might then baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire; signifying the trials and tribulation that we will suffer as our life here is put to death? Our life/our way is a way of sin or otherwise the exact opposite of God’s way/God’s Life.
Jesus died because of sin (our sin). He leads by example. Now we have the opportunity to also die to this world to the sin that is in our lives. What happened once Jesus suffered and died for our sin? You got it – He was resurrected and cannot die anymore. As a matter of fact, after He died and was resurrected, He spent a small amount of time here on earth with His Brethren teaching the will of God and empowering them to both preach and live of the Gospel, right? After that, what happened? He went to heaven to sit in God’s throne.
We too, can follow in His steps, if we first believe the Gospel, and then are willing to continue reading the road map that we find within His Word!
Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Matthew 16:24-25 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Hebrews 12:2-4 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Do you really believe? Do you really want to be risen with Him? What if I told you that you can be raised with Him in newness of life before He returns to this earth? – Truth!
Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Colossians 3:1-4 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
He appears to us when we receive the gift of The Holy Ghost who leads and guides us into all truth (John 16:13). Once revealed, IF we continue in the Truth, we are then free from sin. Thus, Christ’s life has appeared in us! Let’s continue…
Colossians 3:5-17 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Romans 6:10-14 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Galatians 1:3-9 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Revelation 3:19-22 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
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